The ERC Steering Group provides advice on the strategic direction of the Centre, providing advice on activities and actions that will help it achieve its aims. The Steering Group also provides guidance and practical support with communications and dissemination activities.
The Steering Group meets twice a year. It has an independent Chair, Lucy Armstrong, and membership is drawn from the ERC’s stakeholder and research community.
Christopher Haley
Head of New Technology & Startup Research, Nesta
Dr Christopher Haley is Head of New Technology & Startup Research at Nesta, the innovation foundation, where leads a number of programmes dedicated to improving business innovation and helping new technologies drive economic growth. He was formerly part of the Secretariat of the European Digital Forum, an initiative dedicated to empowering web entrepreneurs and growing Europe's digital economy, and directed the European Digital City Index project.
David Bharier
Head of Research, British Chambers of Commerce
David is Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce and leads on the delivery of the Chamber Network’s national survey programme, which analyses business attitudes towards a range of policy areas, including taxation, labour market conditions, international trade, and Brexit. The analysis is reported widely across the media and is briefed across the UK Government and Bank of England.
Henry Overman
Director, What Works Centre
Henry is Professor of Economic Geography in the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and director of the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth. He was formerly director of the Spatial Economics Research Centre.
Jane Galsworthy
Director of Development, Oxford Innovation Services
Jane has been involved in the design and delivery of support for SMEs and entrepreneurs for over 15 years. She is part of the senior leadership team at Oxford Innovation and leads on design of practical support around growth, innovation and finance that helps ambitious businesses and start-ups to reach their full potential
Lucy Armstrong
Chief Executive ,The Alchemists - Steering Group Chair
Lucy is chief executive of The Alchemists. This business works with high growth mid-corporate businesses to accelerate their growth and success by focussing on shareholder and management development and succession.
She is chair of the Steering group of the Enterprise Research Centre.
Nida Broughton
Head of Economic Growth and Productivity, Behavioural Insights Team
Nida Broughton is Head of Economic Growth and Productivity at the Behavioural Insights Team, where she leads BIT's work programmes on applying behavioural insights to improving employee productivity, business support, market functioning and macroeconomic policy. Previously, she was Chief Economist at the Social Market Foundation, leading policy research on economic growth, public spending and employment.
Simon Collinson
Director of the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WMREDI) and City-REDI.
Simon is Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of Birmingham and Director of WMREDI and City-REDI which help develop policies for inclusive economic growth across UK regions. He is based in Birmingham Business School where he was Dean (2012-2016). He has previously worked at the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh and was Chair of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and a member of the ESRC Council.
Sonali Parekh
Head of Policy, Federation of Small Businesses
Sonali Parekh is the Head of Policy for the Federation of Small Businesses. She oversees the overall policy and research of the FSB’s Westminister Office. Sonali has led the FSB’s research programme on the impact of Brexit on small businesses.
Stephen Pegge
Managing Director, Commercial Finance , UK Finance
Stephen has been involved in banking and finance for SMEs and corporates for most of his 35 years in the industry. He is part of the senior executive team at UK Finance and leads on policy relating to Commercial Banking, Invoice Finance and Asset Based Lending and economics, data and research for the wider work of UK Finance, the leading financial trade association.
Tim Vorley
Deputy Director, Productivity Insights Network
Tim is Deputy Director of the ESRC funded Productivity Insights Network and leads the Innovation Caucus funded by Innovate UK/ESRC.
